Passed 5th time lucky

I passed my test today on the fifth time of asking. I got one minor. It was long overdue and I managed to control my nerves as best possible. I'm in my thirties and didn't start driving until I was in my 30s, so I never had that youthful carelessness when learning to drive. I have felt that I've been a good driver for four years (which is how long it's taken me with interruptions).

All except one other of the four other driving tests, however, left a horrible taste in my mouth. On two occasions the examiner failed me with one major and no minors. On one of those occasions, I simply know he was wrong (claimed I ended up in the middle of the road on the reverse round the corner, but I didn't). On another occasion the examiner gave me wrong instructions which led me to commit a major: he asked me to follow the road ahead where there was a no entry sign: sure, I failed by following those instruction, but nerves mean you rely on the examiner being competent at the beginning to settle your nerves.

Anyway, as relieved as I am to have passed the test, I simply question the format of the test. I know of no other test of this importance that has this little quality assurance (i.e. none). It's just you and the examiner. The test is a completely unregulated space. The examiner can claim and do whatever they please, because there is no oversight. Of my five experiences, two examiners were genuinely nice (1st and 5th), but one openly mocked my title (I'm a 'Dr'), one gave me wrong instructions, and one tutted during my test. The idea that the test is somehow an objective measurement of driving ability is ridiculous. It's one person with no observation passing judgement arbitrarily (that's not to say that examiners don't weed out poor drivers). I don't know how they still get away with it, especially given the technological developments that would allow examiners observations to be contextualised (cameras, 'black boxes' etc...).

So, yes, v. happy to have made it, and really appreciated my instructor, but I still find it astonishing the way the test 'works'.

Re: Passed 5th time lucky

I know and knew that my instructor could sit in, but that comes at the expense of even more nerves. And even if they sat in on it, what difference does it make to the examiner's decision? They can sit in, but are effectively 'invisible' in the test.

And as far as the appeals are concerned, again, who in their right mind would risk that? In the end, you have to go back to take another test and you don't want to either get the same examiner or one of his mates. And the appeal process has zero chance of succeeding anyway (driver learner's for vs examiner's word...hmmm...). So it's pretty much a 'law free zone' (again with the proviso that obviously many examiners do their job properly, but there is no real quality assurance).

Re: Passed 5th time lucky

I've appealed for pupils and won on more than one occasion. Someone has been feeding you wrong information I'm afraid.

The instructor can't comment there and then but if they spot something untoward then nothing wrong with ringing or meeting with the test centre manager. They've always been very accommodating when I've done it.

On the whole I find examiners to be very fair 99% of the time. I've also had them admit there mistake on the odd occasion.

Have you been learning with a fully qualified driving instructor or a trainee? (That's a genuine question. Sadly not all instructors provide there pupils with a quality service. They don't always offer good advice)

Re: Passed 5th time lucky

My instructor is a very experienced, fully-qualified instructor who also instructs drivers for emergency services. He's been a major asset for giving me confidence in driving. I can honestly say I am glad I didn't appeal, as it would have created more anguish, nerves etc...(and the result cannot be overturned anyway, so you have to go back and pass a test! An appeal is counterproductive in so many ways...).

I'm afraid my experiences of the test leave me feeling that I wasted money on three of the tests (one test I absolutely failed) in large (but not only) part to the examiner's human error.

Re: Passed 5th time lucky

Anguish?

Personally I'd have tried to sort it with a chat with test centre manager. Pupils don't always need to be involved. Certainly no anguish is caused. Anyway I'm just an instructor who's actually used the appeals process (and won) and also had dealings with examiners for over 15 years........ what would I know hey?

Re: Passed 5th time lucky

Re: Passed 5th time lucky

So that's the 'best case scenario', which - apart from claims on anonymous forums - I've never heard of happening in the real world. And even this 'best case scenario' comes with considerable problems:

1) The process itself adds to the weight of having failed and having to pass.

2) You become effectively a persona non grata at the test centre.

3) Your instructor puts themselves at risk of becoming a persona non grata at the test centre (and thus also all his students).

4) You still have to take the test again and might have the same instructor or one of his colleagues/friends.

5) Given that, you probably have to change test centre, which means familiarising yourself with a whole new surroundings.

The overwhelmingly usual outcome of an appeal, however, is 'examiners decision is final, goodbye'. In other words, appeals are futile, if not in fact deeply damaging. As I said, it's a lawless, unregulated space and an outrage that driving examiners have so much uncontrolled power.